


Maternal Instincts

by Nvr_Sk_to_Tll



Category: Highlander: The Series
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-26
Updated: 2011-12-26
Packaged: 2017-10-28 05:05:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/304056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nvr_Sk_to_Tll/pseuds/Nvr_Sk_to_Tll
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After stopping Kenny from taking Duncan's head, Amanda decides that the time has come to settle matters with her "son."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Maternal Instincts

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings/Spoilers: Very slight spoilers for "The Lamb" and "Reunion". References to death it's 'Highlander', so that's almost unavoidable.

"Why couldn't he have had his first death as an adult?" she muttered to her reflection in the bathroom mirror.

Amanda had never imagined that it would come to this. Even in the desperate times before her first death, she had never considered killing a child. Yet that was most likely what she would have to do.

"I should have been more careful with him, shouldn't have lost him."

She knew that most of Kenny's behavior wasn't really her fault. Even Duncan didn't blame her. Still, it made her uneasy to think that she had been responsible for the boy's earliest training.

She had been following him for quite a while now, had finally tracked him to upstate New York. He was with a foster family, and his foster mother was an immortal, an old acquaintance of Amanda's. That might have made things easier; unfortunately, the woman was actually less an acquaintance than an old rival for the affections of several men down through the decades, now that Amanda thought about it. A definite obstacle.

So here she was in an old country house she'd rented near the small town where he lived, with a set of false credentials presenting her as a social worker taking over Kenny's case. Yes, she was going to have to be just as underhanded as Kenny himself to get the boy where she wanted him.  
An hour later she was at the school, waiting in the office as they brought Kenny from his class. He saw her through the slightly ajar door and tried to make a break for it. The principal grabbed him and hauled him bodily into the office.

"Now, Kenny, that's no way to act. Miss..."

"Horne," Amanda said, attitude all helpfulness and face frozen in a harried, slightly desperate smile.

"Miss Horne is just here to help you."

Standing, Amanda took hold of Kenny's hand. She made her grip firm, but not painfully so. Looking down at him, she put a little warmth into her expression.

"We've found a family to adopt you, Kenny," she said, the lie bitter in her heart and mouth. "Come on, all of your things have already been packed up for the trip to your new home."

The boy struggled and twisted all the way out to the parking lot, almost escaped as she pushed him (cautiously, since they were still in sight of the school) into the car. They were on the road for an hour and he never spoke. Only when they got to the house and she bundled him inside did he look up at her and almost growl.

"You're going to kill me."

"I don't want to, Kenny. I was thinking that you might be agreeable to just staying with me, letting me take care of you."

"I'm not a helpless little boy like I was when you found me. I can take care of myself."

"In the worst possible way. You'll do almost anything to gain a quickening, won't you?"

He put on his innocent expression, the look that had conned so many immortals through the centuries.

"I'm only doing what I have to in order to survive."

"Cut the act, Kenny. I know you."

"Do you? You left me all alone. I died so many times before I managed to figure things out..."

"I didn't abandon you, Kenny. I couldn't control what happened. I never wanted to be separated from you. I searched for ages; I've always been searching."

"Where were you when Gilles De Rais got hold of me? When I was hanged as a pickpocket in London?"

"I was out in the world. Every little boy I saw in every crowd...I hoped that it was you, that I could find you again and take you home and tell you how much I had missed you. I wanted to be your mother, Kenny. I still do."

Kenny looked almost relieved. He seemed almost willing to let down his defenses, to allow someone to truly protect and look after him.

"Mother?" the boy whispered.

He held out his arms, tears tracking down his cheeks.

Amanda couldn't help herself anymore. She knelt and hugged Kenny tightly. Luckily, she retained enough presence of mind to spot when he reached for a conveniently close vase, planning to smash her over the head. Almost leaping away, Amanda grabbed her sword and brought it half up to strike. Kenny dropped the vase, falling to his knees and raising his hands as in a plea.

"Please! I'm sorry, Amanda, I didn't mean it. Please don't. I won't do it again, I promise. Please Amanda."

"Sorry, Kenny. I can't trust you. No one can."

He fell back, scrabbled desperately away, his eyes fearfully fixed the whole time on Amanda's upraised blade.

The blade came down quick, and to Amanda it suddenly seemed as if she were not controlling it, as if the weight of years had suddenly caught her and were forcing the blade toward the child. Still, the speed of the fall was not enough. In the split second before the blade sheared through his neck, Kenny managed to whisper one more plea.

"Please, Mother..."

And then it was done. The quickening was sharp, painful almost, and very powerful. When it was over, Amanda sat on the floor for a long while, cradling Kenny's body and weeping.  
********  
Stopping before Rebecca's grave, Amanda knelt quickly and pulled a single white rose out of the bouquet she carried. Placed the flower at the base of the stone, she smiled. It was habit, when she was here, to visit her teacher and lover, at least for a moment. But she stood quickly and moved on to her true goal a few rows over.

The next grave she stopped at looked brand new. Kneeling again, Amanda placed the rest of the roses at this resting place. It had seemed right to have Kenny buried here; that way all of her "family" was close together.

She didn't need to look at the stone to know the inscription; after all, she had ordered it shortly after arriving in Paris with Kenny's remains. Still, she spared a glance.

  
_Kenneth Dirieux  
1985-1995  
Beloved Son  
At peace at last_   



End file.
